Barcelona eye swoop for 21-year-old midfield starlet, keen on Nou Camp switch

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Barcelona are coming off the back of a domestic double this past season, and so Ernesto Valverde would arguably be well advised to avoid upsetting the balance in his side.

The Spanish tactician enjoyed a successful start to his tenure after being appointed last summer, albeit their disappointing Champions League exit would have soured it somewhat.

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Nevertheless, he’ll be eager to repeat and improve next season, and that could result in reinforcements arriving at the Nou Camp to further strengthen their position while rivals Real Madrid will have to adjust to a new coach after Zinedine Zidane officially announced on Thursday that he was stepping down.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan giants have set their sights on Ajax youngster Frenkie de Jong, who continued to impress for the Dutch side this past season, providing nine assists and scoring one goal in just 26 appearances.

The versatile 21-year-old is often deployed in a central midfield role, but can play elsewhere, and so that will surely be another attractive characteristic for Valverde and Barcelona when considering their options.

Mundo Deportivo claim that not only are talks progressing with his camp over a move either this summer or next, but De Jong is keen on the idea of joining Barcelona, which could be a crucial factor in pushing a deal through.

With the likes of Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Paulinho all approaching the 30 mark, it’s arguably essential that if Barca do make signings, it’s with a long-term vision in mind to ensure that they have the building blocks in place to sustain their level of success for years to come.

De Jong impressed this past season, albeit he was sidelined from March onwards with an injury, and given he possesses the technical quality and vision which arguably makes him an ideal fit for Barcelona’s style of play, it’s a move that could make a lot of sense for both parties if they can prise him away from Ajax.

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